Since my mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day are so close together in the month of May, I figured a consolidated post wouldn’t make me look too cheap, would it?

Reasons for not writing on the subject yesterday include the fact that my mom was out of the country and wouldn’t have been able to read this anyway. Instead of writing out some sappy words I’ve decided to include some photos, sort of a visual aid to demonstrate just how far John and I have come.

In short, we wouldn’t have been able to get from here…

To here…

…Without the love and support of two ladies, whose strength (and patience) is that of a super-human.

Now for the sappy part… John and I are both the youngest our families and are really close with our mothers - who I think both refer to us still as their “babies” to friends, family, and that lady at the checkout in the grocery line up last week. While our older siblings were off at school we’d chill with our moms during the day, I’d like to think that I was my mom’s sidekick during those years. You know we’d hang out, go to the store, take a bus to see Oma and Opa, and I’d pretend to nap while she watched All My Children.

We might not get around to saying it often enough but our moms are the bee’s knees and while one is only a few cities away and the other is across the continent, both never leave our hearts and thoughts.

Update: I just have to include this too…

Sometimes Auntie Becky can get wrapped up in work, blogging, and social media events that no matter how fun they are, they still run her down and make her forget really important things. She’s feeling really, really bad today that she missed your birthday yesterday Ethan because you’re such a great little guy and she loves you very much.

You’re smart, caring, considerate, and won’t hesitate to tell the ladies how beautiful they are. With a spirit that’s emotional, philosophical, and poetic you have such an energy about you that makes folks question if you’re really just six years old.

Happy Birthday Ethan! Be prepared for BIG HUGS on Sunday, followed by some fun Photobooth time.

Luckily for this busy Auntie, Sunday is reserved family time. It was also Booth’s birthday yesterday (he’s my equally adorable step-nephew, who turned 4) and it’s my mother’s birthday on Saturday so we’ll be celebrating them all at once (I’m just hoping there’s three cakes and not just one with 66 candles on it).

Day two of SuperHappyBollwittTime will include clear skies and 18 degrees here in Canada’s only pocket desert.

We’re still unsure what’s in store for the Bollwitts but I’m certain it will involve sunshine and mushy things couples that are in love do. That’s right I said it, I’m totally loving this time away with John.

Which reminds me I should get back to the condo since the only internet available to us in town is in this common room. Seriously, we tried the “internet cafe” but that didn’t have wifi, just stations. But who am I to complain? Breakfast at the diner calls! And if anyone’s wondering, I left the keys to the internet with Raul so he’s making sure it stays intact until we return.

Crossing over the Similkameen River with the setting sun in our rear view mirror John reached over and threaded his fingers through mine - right then and there SuperHappyBollwittTime (the code name for this weekend) had officially begun.

As the Crowsnest Highway has become a familiar path we both keep an eye out for some of our favourite landmarks like the “CAUTION: SHEEP” sign with the South Park-esque graphic that makes us chuckle.

Last night we arrived in the darkness and after some quick unpacking, snuggled up on the couch with our toes being toasted by the fireplace. There was no agenda for today aside from breakfast to appease my rumbling tummy, so we decided to hop in the car and simply drive.

We ended up in a part of Washington State that neither of us had explored before and before you knew it we were ascending Mount Bonaparte in the Okanogan National Forest. Side note: If you’re going to venture into this park no routes are marked and no maps are posted at trailheads. There are no PDFs available on their site either so you’ll need to purchase a map for $9.68… or have GPS.

Tomorrow will include some hiking and many more pictures from our adventures are to follow (like from the trip back from Danville, WA and Grand Forks, BC today) but as internet access is limited (which we don’t mind at all) the content will be pretty sparse this weekend. If you don’t hear from me until Monday don’t worry, it just means that SuperHappyBollwittTime has been a successful mission.

One conference for women in business, another that bridged all realms of traditional and digital media, and a concert at the Commodore. You could say it’s been a pretty full weekend so far over here but it didn’t end with that.

I headed up Mount Seymour this afternoon and despite forgetting to wear my goggles and getting whipped in the face with all their fresh powder, it was an really great time. Lines were short, the snow was crisp, and I was pretty much given the rockstar treatment - I even ended up getting a great tshirt all because of this here blog.

Three hours in I was also treated to a snowmobile ride up to Mystery Peak and I gotta say, it was fast, bumpy, slightly scary, and amazingly fun. I’ve been going to Seymour for over 10 years because it’s inexpensive, not too overcrowded, and the views are breathtaking. Not only can you see downtown and over to Vancouver Island, but you also get an eastward view clear across the Fraser Valley.

Mount Seymour fast facts:

Having this scenery close off my weekend is something I could really get used to (along with the Canucks beating Calgary 6-2). The snowboarding season in Metro Vancouver is far from over so check out Seymour’s spring skiing schedule.

Since my niece walked up to me a few months ago and said, “Miss604 dot com!” I figure she may be watching today (and that I need to remember to keep things pretty clean around here).

She is the oldest sister of 4 brothers, and was my Oma’s first great-grandchild, my mother and father’s first grandchild, and the reason they started calling me Auntie Becky in the first place.

She’s one of the most clever little people you’ll ever meet and by the age of two was able to tell you in which country she lived, the capital, and who was the Prime Minister. She’s not an overly girlie girl, like her mother and I, she’ll tell you what’s on her mind and her intelligence is never to be underestimated.

Throughout her 8 years she’s been speaking two languages, and has been able to crack a knock knock joke that can simply turn any frown upside down. I have saved every card she ever made for me and mailed over when I lived in Boston - from my birthday, to Valentine’s and Easter. She’ll always have a special place in my heart, even moreso that in every way she reminds me of one of the most important people in my life.

We’ve come a long way from the year 2000, when it took my sister and I twenty minutes to prep a stroller to take her baby girl for a walk to the store, and I can’t wait to be here to watch my niece grow. Happy Birthday Lexi!!

They had been walking around the city all day and their feet were tired. Their arms were sore from carrying boutique-purchased items, groceries and a bottle of wine, yet their spirits were electric, sparked by the excitement of finally being together.

Their love was new, still silent and unspoken but it was enough to make each of their eyes sparkle with anticipation and emotion. They had gone about that afternoon acting as though the only way they could survive trekking to the next city block was to supply each other with air through a long passionate kiss. They were giddy.

Now back at the apartment, bags unpacked and wine poured, he went over to his laptop. The lights were off but the glow of the city rushing through the windows in the living room was ambiance enough. Opening his computer he was blushed with the soft glow from the screen as he said, “let’s have a dance.”

They had a conversation earlier where she mentioned it used to be rare for a boy to talk to her at a school dance. She’d usually be too busy on the organizing committee punching tickets or sitting alone on a folding chair in the corner.

It was cheesy, but it worked. She took her fingertips off the window sill, turned her back on the skyline, and barely whispered out, “okay”.

He pressed play on a song he’d been saving for just this moment - for just this girl. As they slowly came together, touched, and held onto each other for dear life, the song played.

Place your hands on my face
Close my eyes and say
That love is a poor man’s food

The lyrics and music echoed from floor to ceiling throughout the empty room, and it passionately consumed them both as they moved ever so slightly in what was more of a swaying hug.

I could hold you in my arms
I could hold on forever

She closed her eyes and wished at some point they would end up like this again. It didn’t have to be in that apartment, in that city or even that country, she just knew she had to be in his arms. Her now irrepressible feelings were going to grow and they both knew even thousands of miles couldn’t keep them apart.

The next time they came together in such a melodic embrace (to that same tune reserved just for that girl) it wasn’t in an empty room, but one filled with the most important people in their lives. They were all there to witness a love that was sparked long before the first dance in front of them and hopefully far outliving the last.

Happy 2nd Anniversary John, I’m one lucky woman.

To say our Saturday was Surrey-licious would be an understatement. John and I took the train out to Central City in the early afternoon to meet up with our good friend (and honorary sister) and my niece for Winterfest. We got some thundersticks, ice skated on plastic, were hassled by mascots and listened to some really loud music on a big live stage. Children were running amok everywhere, it was slightly soggy out but all in all, it was a pretty great day even if my niece didn’t want to make a “magic wand” or get her face painted (in all honesty, neither did I, so it was cool).

John was able to take some good shots despite the grey weather and low-light, the following are from his Flickr set.

The Rec Centre parking lot, 102nd Ave, and the Central City Plaza were all reserved for Winterfest.

Olympic mascot “Quatchi” with Surrey mayor, Diane Watts.

Shane Philip with the didjeridu on stage.

Kids craft fair and story-telling inside the mall. Smell the commerce - mixed with Elmer’s glue.

More activities for kids. This tent was giving away saplings. My niece had no use for such a thing although she did enjoy this animal tracks quiz.

We skated on a synthetic polymer “ice rink”. It was… interesting.

He is the “Ice Prince”. He wanted to tell you that a lot, which my niece did not appreciate.

View the rest of the photos from Winterfest in John’s Flickr set.